Dear Students:

This time, I have not typed up extensive comments for each of you.  Instead I have written comments in the margins of your papers, and I am sending this message to all of you with general comments that pertain to many of your papers.  That’s the most I can do for you given the time available to me.  If you need clarification or want further commentary, you can come see me next week.

PROFESSOR, NOT SECRETARY:  I do not print out papers for you.  As the thesis clearly indicates, you must turn in a hardcopy to me and an e-copy to turnitin.com.  Even if I do not have a hardcopy yet, I will consider your paper to be on time if the date stamp on turnitin.com says February 22.  Otherwise, you will need to provide a medical excuse in writing to avoid a late penalty.

GRADES:  I did not boost anyone’s grade this time, but I did not use the F either, though it would have been justified in some cases.  Grades ranged from A- to D.  Grades at the low end reflect significant disconnections between the assignment and your product.

PROCESS:  Half of you skipped the peer editing session and threw your papers together at the last minute.  As a result, there were major problems in your implementation of the assignment.  I strongly encourage all of you to start early and to participate in the peer editing process as we go forward.

DISCONNECTIONS:  Throughout most of the papers, there were significant disconnections between what I had assigned and what you produced.  Here are the main ones:

·       I gave you a model for the thesis, but you disregarded it and wrote a thesis about how your major is a good fit for you.

·       Section one was supposed to analyze the discipline, but you analyzed your course, your major, your college, your career, students’ reaction, etc.

·       Section two was supposed to analyze one class session, but you analyzed the course, your experience of the course, or something else that was not on point.

·       Your analyses were supposed to proceed according to the elements, but you merely used the names of the elements without saying anything substantive.

·       Your evaluation, as the model thesis states, was supposed to proceed “with respect to the overall discipline,” but you merely evaluated the class session without any reference to the discipline.

STYLE:  Many of you have a very poor sense of prose style.   Here are some pointers:

·       In general, you should not use passive voice.  Instead, make the subject the subject.

·       Most of you overuse the word “this” egregiously:  “this class,” “this class session,” “this particular class session,” and combinations of these phrases appeared multiple times in individual paragraphs.  You should not use “this” more than one time per paragraph. 

·       Awkwardness and wordiness were also present in many of the papers.

·       Do not use second person (“you”).

·       Some of you had comma splices, fragments, run-on sentences, and dangling modifiers.  If your margins say CS, frag, RO, or DM, you must get help before you attempt the research paper.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: 

·       You do not have any homework for next week, but you may benefit from looking ahead to the midterm assessment essay scheduled for Monday, March 8. 

·       Some of you have already exceeded the maximum number of absences and need to drop the course. 

·       If you come in late and do not check in with me after class, your absence mark stays an absence mark.  This policy is in the syllabus and was announced in class. 

I’ll see you next week.

Dr. Fike